This invention generally relates to an emergency air vent structure which provides automatic venting of buildings where heating unit failures or fire may delete the oxygen content below that needed to sustain life.
The emergency air vent structure ma be actuated by an oxygen deficiency sensor, a gas sensor or smoke sensor and would be installed in conjunction with an alarm.
A critical problem exists particularly in mobile homes and trailers but also in other buildings. Entire families have been killed by means of asphyxiation. Sometimes small fires delete the oxygen content in the building. Faulty heaters have caused the escape of carbon monoxide resulting at least in severe illness and only too often in death.
On occasions, people have been saved by being able to at least crawl as far as a doorway to open it to allow sufficient fresh air in to sustain life until help can arrive. Frequently when people are sleeping, asphyxiation occurs so quickly that the sounding of an alarm is inadequate to help them since they are then frequently dazed from the poisoning. The only solution for them is an immediate introduction of fresh air into the enclosure which is achieved by this invention. Various patents relating to emergency exits are as follows:
______________________________________ Inventor Patent Number ______________________________________ Burnette 3,120,032 Gilbert 3,445,963 Coulter 3,777,423 Zawadzki 3,854,763 Kinney 3,861,739 Coulter 3,905,063 Lirette 4,005,886 ______________________________________
It will be noted in reviewing this art that the solution of a relatively inexpensive and easily installed emergency air vent structure to overcome the problem of asphyxiation was not satisfactorily resolved until the emergence of the instant invention.